Life’s Tough, Explorers Are TOUGHER!

Richard Wiese
  • 4.9 (18)
  • DOCUMENTARY

“Exploring is an innate part of being human.” Richard Wiese, spends 30 minutes every week with some of the world’s most compelling adventurers, explorers, and socio-environmental advocates, listening to their distinct adventures, unique discoveries, projects & goals, while discovering their multitude of challenges, surprises, triumphs and set-backs they encounter along the way. Join Richard as he pulls back the curtain on what it’s like to travel around the world and beyond; explore some of the most exotic and often dangerous places; and uncover what makes people, places and our planet so special.

  1. APR 8

    In Memory of Birute Galdikas - 53 Years of Studying Orangutans

    In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, we celebrate the life of Dr. Birute Galdikas. The amazing life lived, and the legacy that continues to this day. Dr. Birute Galdikas dedicated over 50 years of her life to studying and protecting orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo. As one of the legendary “Trimates” chosen by Louis Leakey — alongside Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey — Birute helped pioneer the field of primatology and conservation. She reflected on her journey from graduate student to global conservationist. She shared deeply personal stories about bonding with wild orangutans, the challenges of navigating foreign cultures, and the evolution of orangutan behavior under environmental stress. Birute also opened up about the sacrifices she'd made, her unique role in Indonesian society, and her enduring hope for change. Hosted by Richard Wiese, this conversation is a tribute to endurance, compassion, and what it truly means to dedicate your life to a cause greater than yourself.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    23 min

  2. MAR 25

    Alex More on Pandemics, Climate, and Human Survival

    In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, Richard Wiese speaks with Dr. Alex More about an extraordinary journey that spans immigration, survival, scholarship, and discovery. Alex recounts leaving Italy as a teenager, navigating New York and Chicago with limited resources, and eventually building an academic career that led to Harvard and beyond. His story is one of persistence, risk, and the determination to keep asking bigger questions. The conversation then expands into Alex’s research on climate, pandemics, and historical collapse. He explains how events like the Black Death and the Spanish flu were shaped not only by disease itself, but by wider systems involving weather, environment, migration, war, and public health. By combining climate records with historical evidence, Alex shows how interdisciplinary research can reveal patterns that traditional single-field approaches often miss. This episode is both a personal story of resilience and a wider exploration of how deeply connected our world really is. It offers a powerful reminder that understanding today’s crises often requires looking across centuries, disciplines, and human systems.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    22 min

  3. MAR 11

    Dr. Martin Nweeia and the Real Unicorn of the Sea

    In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with Dr. Martin Nweeia, a dental surgeon, Arctic marine mammal scientist, dental anthropologist, educator, and leading researcher of the narwhal — the Arctic whale often called the “real-life unicorn.” Nweeia also shares his unconventional path from childhood dreams of music and heart surgery to a career that blends dentistry, anthropology, and Arctic exploration. His work with Inuit hunters in the Canadian Arctic revealed insights that challenge traditional scientific assumptions about narwhal behavior and diving ability. Beyond science, the conversation explores deeper lessons about curiosity, cultural knowledge, and how indigenous communities approach nature and life differently from modern Western societies. For Nweeia, studying the narwhal became more than a scientific quest — it became a journey into exploration, humility, and the importance of living with curiosity and purpose.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    35 min
  4. Bertrand Piccard: 21st Century's Greatest Explorer

    FEB 25

    Bertrand Piccard: 21st Century's Greatest Explorer

    In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, Richard Wiese sits down with legendary balloonist and environmental innovator Bertrand Piccard to explore what it truly means to carry the torch of exploration across generations. From completing the first nonstop balloon flight around the world to launching the groundbreaking Solar Impulse project, Piccard explains why success is never the finish line — it’s the launchpad for something more meaningful. He shares how resilience, self-hypnosis, and mental discipline shaped his ability to navigate both historic triumphs and intense setbacks. The conversation moves beyond geography into philosophy: what does exploration mean in the 21st century? For Piccard, it’s no longer about discovering new continents — it’s about discovering better solutions for life on Earth. Through stories of astronauts, ocean explorers, and pioneers he personally knew, he reminds us that the true explorer’s journey is inward as much as outward.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    28 min

  5. FEB 11

    Tomas Koeck: Environmental Storytelling through Patience, Ethics, and Community

    In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, environmental filmmaker and producer Tomas Koeck joins Richard Wiese to explore the realities of wildlife storytelling—where patience, ethics, and community matter more than spectacle. From the community-centered premiere of Way of Life to filming wolves in the Arctic and birds along migration corridors, Koeck shares how meaningful environmental stories are earned through time, restraint, and trust. The conversation also dives into the growing presence of AI in nature media and why Koeck believes it poses a serious challenge to authenticity. After being personally fooled by AI-generated wildlife footage, he founded Silent Flight Studios to create films with zero generative AI use, giving audiences confidence that what they’re watching truly happened in the wild. Koeck’s journey is shaped by family, mentorship, and a belief that storytelling can calm rather than inflame. His work aims to reconnect people with nature—and with each other—by slowing the pace, honoring reality, and letting the story unfold on its own terms. Follow Tomas: https://www.tomaskoeck.com/ ​ ⁨@tomaskoeck⁩  on IG  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    34 min

  6. JAN 29

    Trevor Wallace: From Fear to Curiosity—How One Trip Changed Everything

    In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, Richard Wiese sits down with filmmaker and explorer Trevor Wallace to explore the experiences that shaped his life—from being raised by a resilient single mother to navigating danger, discovery, and deep cultural immersion across the globe. Trevor recounts a pivotal teenage journey to Tanzania through a Jane Goodall program, including a violent robbery that tested his courage and perspective. He reflects on how Goodall’s compassion in the aftermath became a defining model of leadership. The conversation expands into Trevor’s later expeditions, from living with Buddhist monks in Thailand to uncovering ancient Scythian artifacts in Siberia, highlighting that true exploration is about patience, humility, and learning. The episode closes with a candid look at the personal costs of exploration—injury, separation, and uncertainty—balanced by the strength of global community and shared purpose. Trevor offers grounded advice to young explorers: pursue curiosity relentlessly, accept rejection as part of the path, and never wait for permission to begin.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    39 min

  7. JAN 21

    Brandon Clifford: Inside the World’s Only Proven Pirate Shipwreck

    In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese sits down with marine archaeologist Brandon Clifford to explore the real history behind pirates and the legendary Whydah Gally. Far from Hollywood myths, Brandon explains how pirates emerged from war, economic hardship, and rebellion—and how the Whydah became the most important pirate shipwreck ever discovered. Brandon shares the story of his father’s discovery of the Whydah off Cape Cod, the dangers of underwater archaeology, and the ethical responsibility of preserving history rather than profiting from it. From zero-visibility dives and coastal erosion to working amid great white sharks, the work demands discipline, reverence, and patience. The conversation closes with reflections on legacy, fatherhood, and curiosity—how exploration shaped Brandon’s life and how he’s passing those values to his children. This episode is a powerful reminder that the greatest treasure isn’t gold, but the responsibility to protect our shared past.  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    32 min

  8. JAN 15

    Karim Iliya: How Storytelling Connects Nature, Space, and Humanity

    In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese sits down with photographer and filmmaker Karim Iliya to explore a life shaped by constant movement, curiosity, and deep observation. Having grown up across multiple continents, Karim reflects on how living between cultures taught him adaptability, empathy, and an appreciation for the unseen forces that shape human opportunity. His work focuses on revealing hidden worlds—from overlooked animals like gulls and pigeons to the lives of people dedicated to specialized crafts. Karim also shares his extraordinary experience being selected as one of eight artists for the DearMoon Project, a planned civilian mission around the moon. He describes preparing for spaceflight, visiting SpaceX facilities, and immersing himself in the engineering-driven culture of space exploration—before the project was unexpectedly canceled. Despite the setback, the experience permanently shifted his perspective on exploration, storytelling, and humanity’s place in the universe. The episode closes with a thoughtful discussion on the future of filmmaking, attention spans, vertical video, and AI-generated imagery. Karim explains why storytelling still matters—and how pulling people into a moment through detail, emotion, and patience remains timeless, even as technology rapidly changes. Karim Iliya's website Follow him on Instagram  This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.  This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative.  50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

    35 min
See All (56)

4.9
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

“Exploring is an innate part of being human.” Richard Wiese, spends 30 minutes every week with some of the world’s most compelling adventurers, explorers, and socio-environmental advocates, listening to their distinct adventures, unique discoveries, projects & goals, while discovering their multitude of challenges, surprises, triumphs and set-backs they encounter along the way. Join Richard as he pulls back the curtain on what it’s like to travel around the world and beyond; explore some of the most exotic and often dangerous places; and uncover what makes people, places and our planet so special.

Information